Christine de Pizan Slides
Wednesday, April 24, 2019
Wednesday, April 10, 2019
Christine: A Medieval Life
Monday, April 8, 2019
Ave Maris Stella
Ave Maris Stella is a hymn that was originally attributed to St. Bernard, who lived in the 12 century but actually precedes him by several hundred years. The poem is seven stanzas, each being four lines, and was very popular in the Middle Ages as a musical setting for the Mass, specifically the Divine Hours. It was written in honor of the Virgin Mary. Guillaume DuFay’s [Gee-OME Doo-FAY] setting of the Ave Maris Stella is composed with a plainchant melody preceding each stanza and is written for three voices. His compositional style in this piece is an excellent example of the use of a technique called fauxbourdon. The middle voice is a fourth lower than the highest voice. The lower voice is very active. Parts of the plainchant melody can be heard in the stanzas. Careful attention seems to be taken in the placement of the text.The poem’s English translation from Latin is as follows:
Hail, Star of the sea! Blessed Mother of God, yet ever a virgin! O happy gate of heaven!
Thou that didst receive the Ave from Gabriel's lips, confirm us in peace, and so let Eve be changed into an Ave of blessing for us.
Loose the sinner's chains, bring light to the blind, drive from us our evils, and ask all good things for us.
Show thyself a mother, and offer our prayers to Him, who would be born of thee, when born for us.
O incomparable Virgin, and meekest of the meek obtain us the forgiveness of our sins and make us meek and chaste.
Obtain us purity of life, and a safe pilgrimage; that we may be united with thee in thy blissful vision of Jesus.
Praise be to God the Father and to the Lord Jesus, and to the Holy Ghost: to the Three-in-One self, we sing thee praise.
Amen.
V. Hail Mary, full of grace, alleluia.
R. The Lord is with thee, alleluia.
Friday, April 5, 2019
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